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The proliferation of smartphones has brought about a new trend in consumer buying behavior called mobile commerce. According to recent research the mobile commerce trend is expected to continue to grow globally in the years to come. Business owners who have developed a viable long-term mobile commerce strategy will profit from this trend the most. Mapping out an effective strategy can be challenging if it is unclear what the target audience expects from an m-commerce service. The best way to overcome this is to talk to the the customers directly.

My mom taught me so much, at a time when there was limited technology, no cell phones, no internet and of course no social media. The social lessons she taught me apply today and I have interpreted them as so that have become my social media takeaways. My mom passed on earlier this year and I […]

The building of a brand icon “When Andy Warhol wanted a shape to represent mass culture, he drew the [Coca Cola] bottle and when Volkswagen wanted to celebrate the shape of the Beatle, they compared the car to the bottle.” Excerpt from the Coca Cola Journey™: Celebrating 100 years of the Coca-Cola bottle. How has the […]

As Visual Identity ambassadors, we examine the marketing data we collect through every filter imaginable; we look at trends and we anticipate shifts. We sort and analyze the information to death and it’s important that we do. What we’re doing is looking for truths, looking for what’s real and what resonates with consumers. But as […]

Does your marketing message or social media share need to go viral to be effective? How much momentum needs to be behind it? Viral Marketing; we see it fairly regularly — content goes “viral”. It captures people’s imagination and spreads rapidly. Sometimes it continues to spread long after it’s posted, even years after. If your […]

Clients who are involved in the client agency relationship do not realize that they have a direct impact on the creative their agency produces. We hear so much about agencies and their creative prowess and how ‘the creative’ talent establishes its reputation. But there’s hardly any mention of the trust factor and how that directly impacts the […]

Have brands achieved brand trust through their social media communities? Is the race over? It seems that we only blinked, but most of us in marketing can now say social media as a platform has been around for a considerable time. Over the last decade if not longer, brands have actively participated in the race […]

If you think social media is about selling, think again. If you think social media is about selling, think again. Advertising is about selling. Social media is about sharing: sharing your expertise by positioning yourself or your business as the expert. After all, you are the expert, right? As the expert, your role is to […]

A company without a social media presence is almost unheard of today. Consumers expect brands to be on social media. New Social Media Research Shows What People Expect from Brands. Are you prepared for the commitment? Are you making the time or do you begrudge the time spent on creating and maintaining a social media […]

Typo: Abbreviation for typographical error. AKA fat-finger syndrome. Typos are not necessarily the same as spelling errors. In marketing and advertising, we often refer to a spelling error as a typo, but typos are not necessarily the same as spelling errors. The term “typo” originated with the mechanical process of typesetting. You may know how to spell a […]

When someone comments on content in your Social Media post, your response to that comment is as important as the original content you posted. Tread carefully! Your Social Media responses are content too! Sharing expertise, providing information and responding are at the core of Social Media. Sharing expertise, providing information and responding are at the core of […]

“On the Journey of Learning.” I saw this tagline (above) on a big yellow school bus passing me on the highway through Toronto. It’s a beautiful line. Learning is a journey. If we’re open to it and up for the adventure, it can be a tremendously satisfying lifelong learning journey, with plenty of personal benefits, besides the […]

Are you on trend? In the creative field, being on trend or staying ahead of the trend curve is something that needs to be constantly monitored. As designers of packaging, creators of TV ads and developers of Social Media initiatives, being on trend is a must. … being on trend really means being next to the minute or […]

Powerful product packaging. It’s not just about the product experience anymore. Today, even the packaging needs to be an experience. Powerful packaging requires more than a basic understanding of packaging fundamentals. It’s not just about being pretty and persuasive with packaging, it’s also about being practical. … powerful product packaging design can be likened to a powerful social media initiative As you may have guessed […]

What does your product’s package design say about your brand’s personality? It should say (almost) everything. If people haven’t seen any advertising for your product, then the first time they’re going to see it is in the store. Think of packaging as Social Media on a shelf – its role is the same: good package […]

News is when you have something original to say. Noise is when you don’t. Be relevant in 140 characters or less! The 140 characters or less is simply a reminder to be relevant and stay focused when creating content. Visualize yourself writing a standard Twitter tweet, which limits us to 140 characters or less: say […]

Labour Day: why? We’ve all been celebrating the last hurrah of summer on the annual Canadian Labour Day Holiday Weekend. Officially (and sadly!) after this, summer holidays are over and it’s back to normal for Canadians. For Canucks, Labour Day is always the first Monday in September. But why do we call it Labour Day? […]

What is common sense? How important is it in business? In business, I believe knowledge and experience make for common sense. If you don’t have both, you’re working from opinion. Common sense is a way of thinking, based on what you know for sure. You might have heard your grandmother say: “that girl is full […]

In life, we need a plan. To create rich content, we need a plan. There’s a lot of buzz around content and content creation. For those new to content and content creation, it can get confusing. What is content? In a nutshell: content = information. Rich content = great information. I’ll give you an example of what’s meant by content (information). As an […]

“I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.” Stephen Leacock, Canadian writer and humourist Canada’s Stephen Leacock had it right way back when. In his typical satirical style, he was saying: we make our own luck. We certainly do in business. Business opportunities and […]

Chat slang is no longer just about the kids; it’s not even about the rest of us ‘getting down with the kids.’ It hasn’t been for quite a while! Hard to believe, but texting has been around for 23 years The first text message was sent in 1992 by a 22-year-old test engineer from his […]

Do you have a creative routine or ritual? If you’re creative, work in the creative field, or simply find yourself a slave to routine or ritual, read this book: Daily Rituals. How Artists Work, by Mason Currey. You’ll feel better about it all — your procrastination, your late-night working habit, the note pad beside your bed on […]

Most of us want more: more time, more fun, maybe more money, more apps and upgrades to help us do what we do faster and more efficiently, more stuff to help us minimize chores we hate doing. I believe in ‘more,’ I do. (I want to take more trips!) If something can help me do […]

Great Content is King! Social Media is our current best friend. It allows us to talk regularly about our businesses (and ourselves) to anyone who’s interested. And there’s the rub: “anyone who’s interested.” The aim of great content creation is to get people interested! Content’s job is to engage. Content creation isn’t rocket science, but […]

Is the concept of ‘value add’ or ‘value added’ overused? Perhaps it’s more correct to ask, is it misused? Has ‘value added’ become like the tipping issue? Many of us tip automatically, whether it’s deserved or not. Has the term ‘value add’ become interchangeable with just doing a good job, or simply meeting expectations, not exceeding […]

I’ve blogged about 7 Things I absolutely Need in a New Creative Hire and my slightly tongue-in-cheek 7 Quirky Questions to Ask a New Creative Hire, but there is another important viewpoint to consider – that of the person you’re hiring. What does the person you’re thinking of hiring absolutely need in order to say […]

The big ‘headline’ first made front page news during the 19th century newspaper wars when papers everywhere were fighting for readers’ attention. You’ve seen it in old movies — the kid on the street corner hawking the newspaper by yelling out the day’s headline! We’re still hawking with headlines. But are they effective? And do the […]

Peer to peer recognition is the most flattering of flattery. There is no greater compliment than those uttered by peers. Being creative is not owned. Although not all people will agree with this, I believe it’s a talent that is given to each an everyone of us, although it is exercised in different ways. That […]

Time is of the essence! More than any other decade, business is running at the speed of light, which makes the efficient use of time ultimately the most important element to control. When I first entered the advertising business, the industry was notoriously known for its fast pace and deadlines. Contrary to corporate marketing departments, […]

It is with heavy heart that we announce the passing of our concierge and MOM of the Hara clan: David, Salvator and Miriam. Marcelle Hara was an integral part of the 3H team, greeting all those who walked through our doors with her distinctive smile. Whether it was courier, client, or vendor, she always had […]

Addicted to making lists? You’re not alone. We all (well, most of us) love lists. We don’t just make them because we’re busy, or because our memory’s occasionally letting us down. We’ve been ‘listing’ from the beginning. As kids it was: “Who’s coming to my birthday party,” and we’d get busy making a list. We […]

Recently, I blogged about 7 things I absolutely need in a new hire. As those responsible for hiring, we all know the things we absolutely need in a new hire and we look for them, first in the cover letter and résumé, later in the interview and the portfolio. Closer to actually hiring, we might […]

Publicity is all around us; now more than ever. Our eyes and ears are constantly fed information from all angles – we love it – we hate it – we crave it! We create new channels, we seek out more information, more detail – we want to know EVERYTHING about the celebrities we admire and […]

Origin of the word: List + (art)icle. Are listicles worthy of advertising? It’s a question that needs to be asked simply because they resonate so well with people and that’s what we want for our advertising messages. We want them to resonate? We want them to promote action, but we also want them to be […]

To understand why I need what I need in a new hire, you have to understand the business. Take it from me, it’s like no other business in the world. It’s not a tap you turn on and off. You don’t (in fact, you can’t) turn on at 8:30 a.m. and turn off at 4:30 […]

Your company’s struggling financially and you’re going to have to lay off staff. How you do it is important. In Canada, there are labour laws (Canada Labour Code) that employers must follow during a layoff. This blog isn’t about laws, it’s about love. In most layoffs, if we’re honest, a little deadwood leaves; employees who […]

I hate to break the news to you, but the social media channel is media; as such, it is a channel that is increasingly necessitating the use of advertising. Advertising is alive and well … and the social media channel can be thanked for that! Advertising, or successfully advertising, is about reach and frequency. Of […]

In an airport, recently, I came upon an out of home billboard with a prominent headline: The future of sales will be social. I was taken aback by the statement. Hasn’t sales always been social? The very essence of sales is about the building of relationships. Any B2B sales executive will tell you this. So will any […]

Earlier this week, I focused on you being the multi-tasking maestro as the business or team leader. It’s equally important to encourage your team members to multi-task. I’ll repeat my definition of multi-tasking. I’m not talking about one person being asked to wear too many hats and spread themselves thin. That leads to resentment and […]

The decisions we make today for the brands we manage, the businesses we start, or the professional industry bodies we are responsible for are important. Whether you’re a brand, business or industry association, How would you like to be remembered? Or rather, do you want to be remembered? Those of us who nurture brands, businesses […]

At least in the creative world and in the advertising business, multitasking is key, especially for small businesses. Multitasking breeds an inclusive culture and by extension, it builds a team. Multitasking demands sharing information, a crucial aspect in any business. The silo mentality — departments holding back, not wanting to share knowledge or information with […]

As we approach the end of the week when we celebrated Canada’s 148th birthday, as a British ex-pat, it’s warming to me to witness the unashamed, and well-justified patriotism of the Canadian people. Their clear sense of pride in being Canadian does not manifest itself as brash or over-the-top; it’s not arrogant or repellent – […]

I was reading the Vanity Fair Article: “Call Me Caitlyn.” This isn’t a blog about how I feel about the issue of transgender, or a personal critique on Caitlyn. I read the article because I was interested in reading about such an incredible personal transformation. However, since after all, I am in advertising, a comment […]

It depends. If the celebrity fits the brand and the spot acts as a springboard to elevate and personify the brand, then it’s good creative. Last year, Matthew McConaughey was in the driver’s seat for the new Lincoln Motor’s (luxury division of Ford Motor Company) MKC. According to ET Canada, sales for Lincoln shot up 25%, […]

When is too much, too much? Have we reached the over exposure point? Nowadays we get “news” (perhaps a better word is “info” since whether it’s all “news” is often debatable) from so many different sources. We see the same celebrity on TV, on magazine covers, on websites, in commercials, we get them tweeting, they […]

25+ years ago, copywriting jobs were few and far between. Most people had no clue what a copywriter did. Things have changed. With SEO, Social Media, tweeting and blogging, the opportunities for a career in copywriting have exploded. Mad Men made it sexy. Today, it’s often referred to as content creation. A company out to […]

Social media is not a single act … or a monologue. In order to achieve greatness (isn’t that what we’re all after!), a social media marketing strategy must embrace an internal social media culture. The use of social media must, and I repeat, must, be holistic. People want to know the ins and outs of brands […]

As a skill, business writing isn’t new. Written expression has always been valued as a means of communication between departments within organizations. Few businesses can do without a key business writer. Many feel a new dawn has arrived for business writing, making it more highly valued and sought after. With the advent of content marketing, […]

“The advertising world is a young person’s game.” We have all heard this statement before – but is it accurate? Social media, although not in itself ‘advertising‘ has carved out its place within branding in an effort to establish brand relevancy. Similar to any other industry, advertising has evolved to include a ‘holistic‘ communication approach. Am I […]

With the internet and social media opening up a new marketing dynamic, marketing function as it was is no longer valid – or is it? The business environment and the marketing function are continually evolving. What are the fundamental skills required of a marketing professional? The digital landscape has created a convergence of many disciplines. […]

Social media is here to stay. It’s a fact of life. Gone are the naysayers that insisted that it was a passing fad. Social networking is now the new business network and it’s thriving! Consider this: Facebook represents one of the biggest social networks connecting people to people, people to brands and business to business. […]

In a world of anonymity, courtesy of all the social media channels we have, it’s increasingly easier to develop a ‘sub-persona’ (digital persona) of the real ‘you’. Social media engagement has given everyone a voice for their opinions – the good, the bad and the ugly! There’s nothing inherently wrong with engagement. It’s actually very good. […]

Led Zeppelin had it right – ‘All that glitters is not gold’. More profound words were never spoken. The digital revolution has occurred over the last three decades. Since then, businesses and brands have rushed in (some more than others), to jump on the band wagon and be part of the curve. Well, it’s time […]

Corporate entrepreneurship is a philosophy whose time has come. In an age where speed is of the essence, the road to business success includes the ability to move quickly and accurately. In the universe of business, entrepreneurs as a segment have responded to that need. But what about corporate business entities? What philosophies do corporations […]

Earned media isn’t new. It’s been around for a very long time, under the umbrella of PR. As with everything in marketing and communications, technology has widened the spectrum for PR to include much more than traditional, editorialized media. When it comes to earned media today, many relevant, niche blogs have opened up the traditional PR […]

What makes branded creative concepts magical? In a recent LinkedIn discussion, someone commented that the reason why creative agencies were no longer relevant was because computer software (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator) had replaced what was once reserved for creative directors, illustrators and designers. As a result, it removed the magic that was once part of the creative […]

In my last post I stated why I feel that there is a big disconnect between creative agencies and clients. You can read that article here. Below is a short recap. It is my belief that the single-focused creative agencies continuing to work in the same way they did over the past decade, can no […]

Change is due for the creative agency. In the year 2015 and beyond creative agencies must learn relevancy. A recent article I came across stated that clients are increasingly going directly to production houses for their creative – bypassing the creative agency altogether. That is no surprise. The client/agency relationship has been fraught with exponential frustration. I was […]

There’s a lot of hype in today’s marketing world about owning the customer journey. With the proliferation of so many communication venues (both established and personalized), it’s a challenge for brands to be everywhere. A mere five years ago marketers were touting the tune that brands had to be at every touch point of the […]

A mere decade ago, brand building was essentially created on the pillars of packaging and advertising. It involved one-way dialogues and communications. Many feel that those were simpler and easier days. However, some brands were launched only to be left winking in the dark. The company, marketing department and employees who launched the brand were the only […]

Marketing has expanded and evolved due largely in part to the internet and the launch of what is now referred to as the social media channel. Social media was once all the buzz. Now it needs to step aside to allow for the new buzz: Content marketing. Content marketing is increasingly becoming all the buzz. […]

To achieve success in business today, you need to know what to do. However, it’s equally as important to know what not to do. Over the years I have had the privilege of working in a number of different industries for many different brands. I’ve also worked within both business to business and business to […]

I love Einstein – so much so that I have a sculpture of his face hanging on the wall in my office. Beyond his obvious legacy of scientific knowledge and forward thinking, I believe that he had a keen ability to zero in on the obvious about the human condition. Einstein’s observations (which I have interpreted as […]

We’ve all heard it before: The sign of a good manager is someone who surrounds themselves with stronger people. This business strategy can be employed in all aspects of business. Ultimately, by hiring people that are stronger, it implies that the manager understands what they don’t know. In other words, they know what they’re not good […]

There used to be a time when you wouldn’t think of going to the office without wearing a jacket or a suit. Adding structure to your stature was a definite requirement. Business casual used to mean dressing down only on Fridays. I remember when ‘Casual Fridays’ first came about, people couldn’t wait for Friday! As long as what […]

There was a time when brand logos were only associated with a business or product. Enter the age of social media and marketing opportunities have opened up. The popularity and ease of use of social media have not only created the option of having a personal brand, but it’s almost a necessity in order to stand […]

For those of us in the service industry, we know too well the ins and outs of a request for proposal (RFP) – and what it really means for an agency. I have come to view an RFP as comparable to entering a beauty contest. The potential client asks multiple agencies to show them what they can produce – […]

We live in a society that is age-obsessed. No one wants to look old. No one wants to be old. Yet, there’s no escaping it. Each one of is going to turn around one day and be ‘old’. Then we’ll ask ourselves, “When did this happen? How did this happen?” Of course those are just […]

A little over 25 years ago, my mentor who was a decade older than me, philosophized that with every passing decade, things would get easier for women in the future within the business marketplace. The challenges I faced climbing the proverbial corporate ladder were nothing compared to the obstacles she had faced. Although I remember thinking […]

Website performance is often confused with how a website looks. Although user experience and responsive design are important the key objective of a website is overlooked. Not too long ago, developing websites and making them ‘live’ on the world wide web was a capability that was available only to web programmers. Today, with the phenomenal […]

Every day we see brands entering the world of brand publishing. Having a content marketing strategy is a must for any business, no matter what industry they operate in. Have you ventured in yet? If not, why not? The terminology may be different. How it gets distributed may not be the same – but brand […]

Brand development is necessary for any brand competing in the market today. Regardless of the media channel or consumer behaviour, the need for brand development is still relevant. Brand means so many things to so many people. Yet, a brand should by definition be the same for all. But it’s not. Many people confuse Brand with […]

Here’s a quiz that will help you to see if you have what it takes to work in the creative field. There are so many ways to make a living in the creative field. How do you determine if you’re cut out for heading up the ranks in the business of creative? With the introduction of […]

There was a time (in the recent past) when brand sell was all about showcasing features and benefits to an intended target audience. With the emergence of social media, the art of the brand sell has evolved to include a very real social component. Social media has made engagement and response rate some of the […]

Google makes it easy for us to search for any kind of information we want, instantaneously. It has taken the guesswork out of life. But how accurate or relevant is the information we find? Let’s face it, Gen Y and Z are largely responsible for changing today’s marketing landscape. Not only with how to communicate […]

What makes a brainstorming session a strategic brainstorming session? Some might say, “Aren’t all brainstorming sessions essentially strategic?” Well yes and no. It might surprise many that most brainstorming sessions are an exercise in establishing creative concepts in order to facilitate the tactics set out by the strategy. That in itself is not wrong. However […]

Packaging design has always been touted as the “art of art”. If a designer can make it as a packaging designer, they can make it anywhere! Developing great packaging design is essential for any brand. Often the package is the only advertising a product does while sitting on shelf. It goes without saying that capturing the […]

Could it be that corporate social media has seen its day in the sun? Only a few short years ago social media growth was exponential. Now it’s slowing down – almost to a crawl. Yet the explosion of the social media channel caused major corporations and small businesses alike to throw budget and people power at […]

In order to maintain creative integrity when discussing concept ideas with your client, it’s paramount to listen to what they are not saying. The art of listening has long been deemed as the key to success in any sales situation. And that is very true. The same is also true when selling creative and conceptual […]

How do you determine if your branding and advertising agency is your true soul mate? In today’s fast-paced market conditions it’s important for your agency to be part of your marketing team. What makes a branding and advertising agency a true partner? In order to come up with a good answer, what needs to be established […]

In today’s business environment it is increasingly difficult to carve out an edge. So it’s understandable that when something works, one might continue to do it on an annual basis – and that’s a marketing pitfall prevalent in many businesses. Marketing complacency is a sure way to lose your business edge and start down the […]

If you’re the owner of a business that is 5 years or older, you are obviously doing many things right. It takes real know-how to keep a business sustainable. Good for you – no, great for you! Many businesses never make it past the 5-year mark. So how do you springboard from your current success? How do […]

The most common marketing pitfall that brand keepers make that I have come across is “talking to themselves”. I am not eluding that I have never fallen into that marketing pitfall myself. However, I believe after years of training against “talking to myself”, the lesson has finally kicked in! It goes without saying that most […]

Just in time for Saint Valentine’s Day, here’s a post about business love! Business love: Does it have a place in the work-life balance mindset of today’s business environment? There are many times while in the process of interviewing potential employees, I hear about the importance of work-life balance. Although, I rarely hear about the passion […]

What type of marketer are you really? Are you a brand maker or a brand keeper? Is there a difference? Before going any further, I would like to point out that there is no shame in being one or the other – Brand and business need both. In the era of personal branding, it is becoming […]

Social Media blogging has become very accessible for businesses. With the advent of easy to implement content management site systems such as WordPress, the business blog is now a staple on many business’s websites – ours included! The business blog has provided one way to make that first impression count on many levels. With the introduction of […]

Your business or brand has been an early adopter or late adopter on social media… good for you! It goes without saying that today social media is and should be part of any marketing and sales strategy mix and rightly so. Along with its popularity, from a marketing perspective, social media has opened the depth […]

We are all out there: surfing, posting, responding, blogging and purchasing all on our very own personal computers. Our computers are an extension of ourselves and as a result we are lulled into believing or feeling that we are all safe – that Web security doesn’t apply to us. Think about this, the last time […]

“Getting” creative Let’s start at the beginning. Long before you decided to get into a creative industry, at some point you discovered that you were good at it. Something just clicked and it made sense to you. You enjoyed it. Sometimes you’d even get excited about it. And if you were lucky, the people around […]

Is the almighty business website a thing of the past? Many are saying Social Media is where it’s at today. Actually anything social media, including content creation, content sharing, reaching out and blogging are all the new must haves for business. With all the hoopla about social media and the introduction of so many social […]

Social Media isn’t single and it isn’t a couple either. It isn’t accurate to describe the Social Media space as one thing. Yet we are all guilty of doing so. Many of us, when speaking about Social Media, refer to it as if it were a singular item – even though all of us know […]

The holiday season is fast approaching and with it comes the decade old question, at least the biggest question around our boardroom table: Should business’ send out traditional paper or digital holiday cards? Believe it or not, it has been a decade (at least!) since digital greeting cards first made their debut. Over the last three […]

Believable brands, do they exist? If so what makes them believable? At one time or another we’ve all loved specific brands. Brands that ingrain themselves in the hearts and minds of consumers’. Brands that evoke an emotional reaction from consumers on a deep, personable level. Does loving a brand, or caring for a brand also automatically make it […]

The Social Media evolution has enabled people to think differently and perhaps quicker! We at 3H, spend a great deal of our time and energy in the Social Media Channel. It is an exciting channel that is evolving beyond our wildest dreams. Social Media shouldn’t be intimidating to any business and should be leveraged in marketing and business initiatives. It’s […]

The year is 2014, and niche marketing has never been so accessible nor marketed. It’s for this very reason that I wish to discuss (or rant rather) about the categorization of the baby boom generation. I propose that individuals between the ages 50 to 54 in the year 2014 (born within 1960 to 1964) be no longer considered […]

The Social Media space understandably generates a lot of buzz. There are a lot of opinions about what it’s all about and with that come many misconceptions. I would like to share some of those misconceptions with you here. In keeping with the timing of Halloween, here is a few “trick or truths?” about the […]

Brand shapers and makers would like to believe that they own brand perception. However, that simply is not true. Any brand’s perception by definition does not belong to the marketing teams in the offices or the manufactures. Brands are created by consumers. Many brands have been propelled to brand status by providing consumers with a better […]

How necessary is a business blog in today’s marketing arsenal? The “blog” is now a viable platform for communication and is becoming a significant part of the social media channel that is merging with what we now coin as content marketing. Couple that very real concept with the ever-changing Google search optimization criteria and you can’t help […]

What are Brand friendships? Okay, I admit it, I’ve coined that term. But if you think about all that is being talked about in Social Media, brand friendship is really where it’s at. All the articles and blogs speak to the elements of engagement and ultimately it all adds up to viewers becoming friends with […]

Over the last three decades there has been a big shift in how business networking is perceived. Believe it or not, there use to be a time when “business networking” was a taboo. It was actually considered shameful to admit that you received access to a meeting or even information through a networking relationship. That […]

I believe that creativity is inherent in an individual and that it can’t be taught. But by the same token I strongly believe that creativity can be nurtured and that everyone, in some way, is creative. Creativity isn’t limited to “design” or “painting” or “crafts”. Anyone from a mathematician, a web programmer to a janitor can be […]

What is social respect? Social respect is about gaining credibility and earning trust from others through the use of social media. Social Media – so much hoopla (excuse the pun)! Businesses and those who manage brands and products are now are realizing that social media isn’t just a fad or phase. Accordingly, there is a […]

When is it time to tear down your brand foundation and build a new one? Maybe the question should be: Is it time to build a new brand foundation? With this challenging and opportunistic economy, the changes and turnover within a brand’s marketing team are increasingly in flux. Gone are days when brand owners would […]

Is our expectation for Online Security unrealistic? Considering the speed of technology and information, by the time you read this it may already be old news. After Jennifer Lawrence and other celebrity iCloud accounts were hacked resulting in leaked nude photos, I had to wonder if our expectation for online security on the cloud or any […]

Designing digital properties is more important than ever for business, and no matter what industry you are working in you should make sure that you understand it and know how to work with it. This is especially true if you are designing digital products because you need to know how to create those products in […]

Brand value is based upon the sum of all its parts. Those parts are: a brand name, its marketing, the relationship the brand has with its target base, its intent and its history. Additionally, to a large degree brand value or brand equity is based on its level of endurance. A brand’s stamina and staying […]

Web design doesn’t only mean website design. If you’re creating any digital product, be that a website, an app or even an eBook, then you may find that the temptation is there to rush out your final product and to ‘make do’ with work that doesn’t represent your very best. The problem is that it’s […]

Brand marketing, figuratively speaking, has always been about placing a “stake in the sand”. Literally, this means determining a stance composed of strategy, a slew of tactics and the commitment to stay the course. However in today’s workplace and at today’s speed of business, maintaining a commitment to stay the course is more complex and […]

Who you are and how other people see you are sometimes two completely different things. Have you ever been surprised by seeing a celebrity behave differently than you had them pegged? Their personal brand, the self they sell to the public, was convincing enough that it become more real than their genuine self. You have […]

The year is 2014 and the way brand character is now defined is quite different from 5 years ago. Brand value on an emotive and creative level has always been about brand character, or as some often call it, brand persona. In days gone by, the shaping of brand character was hugely dependent on many […]

Anyone who builds an e-commerce store can’t expect to make money without a good fight. I’ve shown them some website design tips they should implement if they want to increase their chances of making a lot of sales. Anyone can build an e-commerce store because there are so many templates available these days. It’s a […]

Are you a believer in the necessity of a true blue in-house corporate marketing team, or do you prefer working with easy-going agency types? How different do you think is the kind of creative developed by the people who sit closest to the source, versus those looking in from the outside? And is there a […]

What comes to mind when you think of podcasting? Do you imagine a vengeful geek complaining about the newest tech gadget failing to meet his standards? Or is it a comic book nerd narrating his newest fiction novel? Thanks to the innovative design and distribution of the iPod, what was once reserved for technical individuals […]

Canada the good. Canada the polite. Canada the humble. Well, since the last winter Olympics… a subtle change has occurred in the Canadian persona. Since the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, Canada has been evolving its persona…still really nice, but a little more edgy. It took the Vancouver Winter Olympics for the world to stop and take […]

So we put all this effort into creating the most informative and watchable online ads in the market, but is anyone paying attention? According to the Goo Online Advertising Survey conducted in January 2014 the answer is… not really. Unless they are especially entertaining. The survey focused on 2000 U.S. households of users over 18 […]

Developing creative for a brand ad, regardless of the medium, is often fraught with many obstacles. The main one being that there are so many people involved in developing brand creative…other than the creative team, at times it becomes impossible to please everyone. That very statement should give all marketing and creative professionals pause. How […]

Over the last several years, we seem to be focusing more and more on reality for our entertainment. From Survivor to The Real Housewives to Big Brother… apparently voyeurism sells very well. The same trend has also been cropping up over the years in advertising. The Dove campaign for real beauty was highly successful and […]

Whether you are tasked to come up with ideas for a corporate creative campaign using a team of people, or you are just trying to generate ideas for yourself, the process of “brainstorming” is virtually the same. It doesn’t have to be an intimidating process and hopefully the idea of facilitating a session doesn’t strike […]

The app market has provided something of a gold rush for a while now. By providing millions of users with a way to quickly and easily download any piece of software, iTunes and the Google Play Store have created huge opportunities for programmers and marketers and this has led to an influx of games, productivity […]

For any business, having an integrated marketing plan really is the best way to optimize communications efforts. Without this, you could be missing out on great opportunities to reach your target audiences. Relying only upon traditional advertising outlets like radio, TV or newspaper to generate all the buzz you need, just isn’t as effective a […]

We’ve been noticing a trend recently that lends a hand to the celebrities and shows that a lot of us grew up watching. What is the purpose of using these particular stars or shows to appeal to viewers? We think it has something to do with nostalgic value. Retro advertising has been done before but […]

It isn’t news that the festivities and anticipation surrounding the upcoming Super Bowl XLVIII is followed none other by the advertising creative that will be airing during the Super Bowl! What follows closely behind these 2 most in virality, however, is the social media activity that is expected to blow up during this annual sporting […]

The ongoing debate on what the differences are between B2B and B2C can be endless. Here at 3H Communications, we believe that, fundamentally, there is no difference. Whether you’re marketing a product or service to a business or consumer, the questions are the same — it’s the answers that are different. We still receive each […]

We’ve discussed in previous posts the importance of strong and lasting client relationship building: regardless of what your marketing strategy is or how ambitious your goals are, the bottom line is that it is all done in vain if the client relationship building is not present. I had a conversation the other day about ways […]

If you didn’t listen to the radio, watch the news, or read about it online somewhere, Bell Media launched a viral campaign called, “Let’s Talk Day”, to raise awareness for mental health. There are a lot of note-worthy causes that are supported by big names, but this has by far gotten much more attention and […]

When a business embarks on a site refresh or re-design, one of the key factors to consider is whether search optimization has been implemented in the content that lives on each page. Is the website complicated and busy? Is it intuitive and easy to navigate? While there are many elements to successfully creating a site […]

Remember when all a website needed to do was to show up on the net? Gone are those days! The website growth cycle has gone through animations and music design all in the hopes of getting attention and to be entertaining… only to now being a part of the business’ sales lead generation and customer […]

Regardless of today’s speed of business, I believe one aspect has remained essentially unchanged: Client management. It can be summed up in one word: Anticipation. I know some of you will associate the idea of “anticipation” with Heinz Ketchup. However, I have always thought of “anticipation” as a key part of building and achieving strong client […]

When companies spend $4 million on a 30-second spot during the Super Bowl — it only makes sense that they would also present teasers in the weeks leading up to the celebrated event to take place next weekend. The Super Bowl is exciting for football fans but it is equally as exciting for marketers and […]

The definition of retail space has altered over the last decade. It’s not a new trend for retailers to take their retail space and promotions to the online realm — for larger retailers, e-commerce is just a reinforcement to their physical plan-o-grams. What does this mean for smaller, more independent retailers, though? When a choice […]

If you’ve been on the internet long enough, for something a lot more sensible than cat videos and pointless Facebook updates (say for instance, for making some real money) then you’ve also- on multiple occasions- come to that moment where you’ve had to get a website for yourself. Now, getting a website that actually works […]

The Olympic Games are quickly approaching and brands are all out there with emotive and sports related advertising . No sooner have we recovered from ringing in the new year and all the holiday season advertising, we are now being served with heart tugging emotive advertising. It goes without saying the Marketers have realized that they […]

Business blogging, or what has now been coined as content marketing, has increasingly become a good source of networking for businesses. As I sit here, ready to write my first blog post of 2014, I am aware of how difficult it is to constantly provide valuable information that will be relevant for 3H’s target audience […]

A Social Strategy is one that every business should implement — given that we’re well into the digital age, it would be a bad business choice to rule out altogether. Given that you do decide to approach the Social Strategy challenge, there are aspects to every platform that you should consider. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all […]

In a generation of file-sharing, we may find that the lines that separate innocent enjoyment and online piracy to be a bit blurred. First, it was Napster that took a major hit in 2001 when record labels went after the file-sharing giant for copyright infringement that eventually resulted in its bankruptcy. Now Megaupload, a company […]

I remember when Pinterest was first getting popular and served as one of the biggest distractions when I was trying to study for exams. I liked the humorous posts and fashion boards. A few years later, my friends started getting married and Pinterest was an excellent way to brainstorm ideas for bridal showers and cute […]

It’s common at the end of each year to reflect upon what happened, what worked, and what we can learn from. In our personal lives, we make resolutions to improve certain areas that aren’t up to par – so why should it be any different for your business? It isn’t good enough to simply resolve […]

I was once told by a friend that success is to “work smarter, not harder” — what she meant by this, was that it isn’t impressive to be the last person to leave the office if it’s because it takes you 12 hours to complete a task that might only take 5 hours for someone […]

Innovation can be defined in many ways. You can deliver innovative design or an innovative user experience. In any scenario, innovation stems from the desire to either create something unique and original that has never existed before, or to take an existing product or service and make it even better. Here at 3H, we thrive […]

If you’re a company that’s looking to hire for Social Media Consulting, there’s a lot to consider prior to engaging with a consultant. Understandably, without a clear understanding of how social media exactly works, hiring on outside source may seem daunting. For starters, and to facilitate proliferation, your consultant must learn how your company works… […]

2013 was a big year for anything and everything that was content, social and digital. There was much talk about responsive websites; on how Google changed its algorithms to include phrasing structure; and what I feel is the most important, is how keywords (SEO) have become a topic of marketing discussions. All this leads me […]

The art of communicating, in my opinion, isn’t given enough weight when discussing business success. Being able to formulate questions that deliver useful answers, is a skill that every professional (and people, in general) should hone to ensure a better chance at success. Good questions can move your business, organization, or career forward. They squeeze […]

According to Socialnomics, 40% of Canadians were using Facebook or Twitter by 2010. By 2012, almost half of the population had joined social media sites. In 2013, it is established 2/3 of Canadians now use social media. These are facts to be considered when strategizing for a brand launch. These are numbers that brands just […]

As we all know, any retail brand that doesn’t get on board with holiday advertising is missing out. A lagging year of sales can be more than made up for within the last couple of months with a successful holiday campaign. Since the 1920s, The Coca-Cola Company has been doing just that – and for […]

It really goes without saying that star power builds awareness. However, utilizing celebrities as part of a brand’s advertising campaign can be a double-edged sword. The more obvious reason is that stars themselves, especially in today’s landscape, are brands in their own right. They aren’t just actors or athletes, they too are responsible for their […]

Productivity means making active steps towards accomplishing something — not thinking about what we have to accomplish. What are we “putting down” when we “put it down on paper”: a current of thought, a torrent of emotions, the first incisions of a decision Flannery O’Connor said that she writes in order to discover what she […]

Over the last 4 years, at Christmas time, retail gurus have been stating that online retail shopping has been increasing exponentially. The fact is, we all do it. At the speed of life and the demands of maintaining that speed, what’s easy and quick is what we gravitate to. Last year during the Christmas season, […]

In today’s society of instant gratification, people have short attention spans: They want the news in 140-character snippets, they want to shop with the click of a button — and they want infinite information accessible at their fingertips via smartphones and tablets. It’s easy for businesses to lose potential customers with a complicated, slow or inefficient mobile website. […]

I’ve written several posts before on what to post, when to post, and how to post – but in this article, I want to discuss where to post. Which, admittedly, is just as important to identify as the other Ws of Social Engagement. Like most marketing efforts, there isn’t just one formula that works across […]

As Heraclitus so succinctly put it, “The only constant in life is change”. As people, some of us struggle daily in order to adapt to the changes that life thrusts upon us. As professionals, the same theory applies. The workplace, the marketplace, even the avenues in which we conduct our business are changing at rapid […]

Social media is an ever-changing world; keeping up with the trends and statistics can be a full-time job on its own. I’ve compiled a list of interesting facts that may help you design a more strategic marketing plan on Twitter: ten tips that will optimize engagement, reach, and your online presence. A lot of what […]

I was shown a video last night that I wanted to share with you: found on the VICE website, this video shows a man, Sun Jifa, who lost both his hands during a fishing explosion. He couldn’t afford prosthetic hands – so he made a pair for himself out of iron. His bravery and perseverance […]

Some of us look forward to the season’s festivities — the get-togethers, the delicious food, the abundance of alcohol, to name a few. Along with the holiday dinners there are the work parties that a lot of us are obliged to attend — and 9/10 times, it isn’t always the most anticipated event of the […]

I took a few courses at Seneca @ York University in Creative Advertising before pursuing a degree in Communications, and my favourite project while I was there was to create an ad for Social Responsibility. Without a pre-existing ad, my group designed copy and creative for Miller Genuine Draft. The 6 teams in my class […]

Ever wonder what makes Google the holy grail of productivity and creativity? There’s no magic in the drinking water at the Mountain View, CA company. The tech giant draws from what Google’s chief social evangelist, Gopi Kallayil, calls the nine core principles of innovation. Kallayil shared his insights at this week’s San Francisco Dreamforce summit. […]

Designing a Facebook marketing campaign can be tricky: you need to start with research and analysis, implement riveting creative, and post engaging content. It may seem overwhelming, but there is a way to kick-start your Facebook strategy: knowing these 7 important statistics will help you increase your following and engagement. For optimized engagement: more than […]

I was watching a TED talk from Rory Sutherland, the Vice Chairman of Ogilvy Group, and his lesson was on the power of perception as it pertains to real value and perceived value. We’re all probably aware of the fact that Advertising is an influential force behind consumerism, but what I want to explore in […]

As 2013 is ending, budgeting for 2014 is well under way. In fact, for many companies budgets and the business plans for 2014 are already in place. But the piece that is often missing is the marketing plan. The marketing plan will include a list of actionable items to be implemented throughout the year. This […]

The first thing you see when you visit Instagram’s webpage is their tagline: “Capture and Share the World’s Moments” – which is the purpose for the multi-billion dollar company (now owned by Facebook). What users actually use it for, however, can vary in a multitude of ways. This is great news for businesses because they […]

I briefly wrote about the Hudson’s Bay in my article, “Retail Marketing: Be Seen and Heard”, but I wanted to elaborate on the genius that is behind the mass retailer. Bonnie Brooks didn’t only make The Hudson’s Bay a trendier shopping destination but her business strategy re-positioned the entire brand perception. Reinventing brands is something […]

Facebook last reported having 1.1 billion active users a month and since its inception in February 2004, it can unanimously be agreed upon that it is one of the most successful social networking sites ever created. It isn’t just successful in the sense that it can connect old friends, lovers, and family – but it […]

Who would have thought? The year 2013 and holiday greeting cards are a thing of the past. Or are they? I believe that sending out holiday greeting cards may be perceived as a blast from the past: I refer to it as retro marketing. I also happen to believe it’s a good thing… on many […]

Soon after Halloween passes (literally, November 1), the Christmas paraphernalia goes up. I used to be nauseated by how money-driven retailers must be to shove money-spending down our throats. Then, I remember that the Christmas music also starts soon after on the radio, and most importantly, the Christmas-themed commercials. Seasonal advertising is probably one of […]

In some professions, it is discouraged to get attached to your patient/client/business relationships. In Marketing and Advertising, however, I would encourage the opposite. A good client relationship management strategy is crucial to maintaining not only a healthy balance for your ROI but also for your professional relationships. The line can be blurry when it comes […]

In light of all the Rob Ford news that has gone viral (making international headlines), I thought it would be a good opportunity to shed light on some videos/stories that have also gained international traction on today’s post. Viral Marketing campaigns usually involve a story or cause that has the effect of evoking emotion or that […]

Content creation is used by businesses to showcase their expertise, know-how and provide useful information to their potential target. Many businesses have had to play catch up and in order to “get into social media” have hired an in-house content marketing specialist… and let them go at it…with a huge sigh of relief. Finally, their […]

When we think about a Mobile Application, the first examples that might come to mind may be: Instagram, Angry Birds, or Whatsapp. While some applications are great for socializing and passing time, there is a lot of opportunity for apps to make life easier; to accomplishing a task faster; to finding something in mere seconds. […]

I started at 3H not too long ago – and during my job interview with Miriam Hara (Partner, 3H Communications), I already got the sense that she was a force to be reckoned with. I’ve worked with quite a few female executives in leadership roles over the past decade and I always observe the types […]

I’ve always enjoyed analytics and learning about online behaviour; like what interests my readers and what type of content is most engaging. Analytic tools such as that provided by WordPress.org, Google Analytics, and Alexa.com are all great for understanding what works and what doesn’t so that you can find a way to make your site […]

Project management is the ability to manage projects, and it is a true artform. It seems like such an easy task to do, but it isn’t. In today’s fast paced environment, staying on top of the many demands, isn’t as easy at is sounds. True, some industries are more hectic than others, however, all industries […]

Developing successful client relationships has never been “easy” work. At 3H, we have had the privilege of having worked with some great clients over the last 25 years. It’s always a pleasure… at least mostly! We have had the opportunity to create successful campaigns delivering on our promise of always putting out awesome creative and, […]

In the saturated world of retail marketing, how can you ensure that you will be seen and heard? There has been a noticeable shift in Retail space over the past five years: a face-lift, if you will, on mass retailers such as Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC), Holt Renfrew, and several other major brands. Along with […]

In my opinion cause marketing is the most satisfying type of marketing for any business, large or small. It’s a chance to help their favourite charity and enables businesses, ultimately, to make money. What is cause marketing? At its simplest form it’s the request for a charity donation at a grocery checkout. You may have […]

Communication is key. In all of our relationships, the ability to effectively communicate is crucial to the success of overcoming obstacles. So what do we do when the forms of communication have changed drastically over the past two decades: from conversations over the phone to text messaging; from physical photo albums to sharing images on […]

There’s much ado about content management these days. In fact, it’s the new buzz word in the social media and marketing landscape. With so many business and brand managers just grappling with the ever-changing dynamics of the worldwide internet and what it means for their business and brand portfolios, content management is yet another aspect […]

Designing Restaurants: It’s the outside that counts. If there is one thing you should know about me, its that I have a huge obsession with food. Cooking, eating, watching food network, I love it all. Growing up in an Italian family and spending hours sitting around a table might have something to do with it. […]

No matter what kind of business you have, you need to promote it to profit from it. This rule does not change for automotive business. In order to do this, you can either promote your automotive business with traditional media that are often more costly and time-consuming or you can promote it with the help […]

In today’s competitive market, businesses must get found. Once found they must be perceived as keeping up with the ever-changing business environment. Business content marketing enables businesses to have the right first impression. Striving for top of mind business and brand awareness is critical within an increasingly fragmented media space. Social Media has allowed everyone to become […]

Advertising frequency is a huge component in the success of any campaign. Think about it: How many times do you need to hear a phone number in order to remember? Don’t answer… it’s a trick question. I have most of my numbers stored in my phone. Not sure about you but I don’t need to repeat phone numbers […]

What is content marketing and how does it apply to building business and brand? A good way to start this conversation would be to reference the Janet Jackson song: “What have you done for me lately?”. Content marketing involves imparting information and knowledge with no expectation of return. In other words, it’s about giving back. Really? Really! […]

As social media continues to change marketing landscape, one change I have seen is the convergence of marketing with PR. In the past, if you wanted an advertising campaign, you produced commercials, print ads and maybe some billboards. If you wanted a Public Relations campaign, you used some of the more traditional tactics: a press […]

Where is brand awareness today? Many marketers and business executives don’t value brand awareness as much as they did a decade ago. Some say it’s a thing of the past while others insist that it’s alive and well. For those who are in the former camp, I would urge them to think again. Investors put […]

It’s no longer good enough for businesses and their brands to have brochure websites. Now websites have to work a lot harder – especially when it comes to establishing business creditability within the internet environment. An integral part of any solid website design is having navigation that’s easy to follow in order to access information […]

B2B social media marketing strategies are not only viable but a must in today’s market landscape. Many B2B companies opt for traditional direct mail marketing – that’s a good strategy to have. And I don’t want to suggest for one minute that direct mail is no longer a good use of marketing dollars. But what […]

Though I’m a big music fan, I’m not going to pretend I know much about the actual music industry. But I do know a lot about graphic design and have my share of marketing know-how. And I recognize that there’s a lot more to creating an iconic band than great guitar riffs and a good-looking […]

A recently shared post written by a colleague about branding promise hit a nerve among marketing professionals. Brand identity value has been a growing cause of concern and debate among those who are in charge of managing and growing brands. Let me say this: Branding is not dead. And brand identity value is very much alive […]

In our last blog we talked about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and today we are going to cover SEM (Search Engine Marketing) and Google. SEM is essentially the process of gaining traffic and visibility from search engines through paid advertising and unpaid advertising in Google, Yahoo, Bing, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media applications and […]

Social Media Strategies. If you are reading this post, odds are you are savvy with several social media platforms and know how to post on Facebook, write a Tweet, post a pin, upload a few photos, share some links, re-tweet, post onto YouTube and are connected with your business colleagues through LinkedIn and Google +. Odds are […]

Your corporate brand and branding promise are both the most significant factors in running a successful and progressive business. No matter what size of company you run, own, and/or manage it is crucial that you invest your time into branding yourself and your business. So what exactly is a brand promise? It is not surprising […]

The proper definition of an ebook is: A publication consisting of text, images or both in a digital format. No longer is the publishing world restricted only to the print medium! In the business world, the launch of ebooks is a daily occurrence. They’re quick and easy reference tools that give a top-line view on various topics […]

Gone are the days when having a static website was good enough – essentially showcasing an online brochure of a business. The introduction of flash animation and all the other bells and whistles have also run their course, (thankfully going by the wayside) now becoming passé. The evolution of websites and their role in the […]

Blogging for business has exploded onto the marketing landscape. Many businesses utilize blogs to promote their services and expertise, others to engage potential and existing client base, and yet other to generate sales leads. Regardless of the objective, launching a blog in the business arena is no small feat. Many businesses have jumped on the […]

It’s difficult to stay on trend today. Within minutes of an event it’s viral. Next week it’s old news. And it’s not hard to predict. I can safely predict today that by the time you read this blog Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke will be replaced by another event that’s just as newsworthy. And there’s […]

The real question is “should marketing be subjective?” Through years of creating concepts and designs, I have realized when you ask someone their opinion they will give it to you… whether they are qualified or not. Most people either like something or don’t. It doesn’t matter if it’s a priceless painting like the Mona Lisa […]

The echo generation is not a new story. We’ve heard about them for years. Those born in the eighties and nineties, they’re called the echo generation because they are the demographic echo of their parents: the infamous baby boomers. We knew by their sheer volume the echo generation would transform our lives. And why wouldn’t they? They are […]

Big companies spend lots of money and effort to build their brands. Brands help their products stand out. Microsoft, Walmart, Volkswagen. We get it. We know what they do. But what about building a personal brand. Can building a personal brand help us to become recognized. Can a personal brand help build our careers? Build […]

Most Facebook marketers quickly realize that things aren’t as easy as some of these web articles make them seem. There is a lot of nuance to every different type of engagement method. So when you read about leveraging something in your favor, you need more than the gist – you need to get to the […]

The Editor says “Cut” and in many cases rightly so. In advertising, professional writers must develop copy based on the media they write for. But you don’t have to be a copywriter to write strong copy in the day to day business arena. In verbal communication some words naturally roll off our tongues when we […]

“Life can be much broader. You can embrace it, change it, improve it, make your mark upon it.” – Steve Jobs I was reading about the soon to be released movie “Jobs” with Ashton Kutcher and this quote jumped out at me. So much knowledge packed into one simple sentence. I get it. I totally […]

In today’s corporate environment the vertical integration of all marketing facets is fast becoming the norm. The adage of “wearing many hats” that was once synonymous only with entrepreneurship, is no longer. Corporate marketing is increasingly becoming, in their own corporate space, a marketing hub for their brands, services or products. If you’ve been following […]

At the risk of stating the obvious, social Media is social. It’s social and because it needs to be interactive it’s high maintenance. It’s a new way of networking….for brands and businesses. As such, there should be a considerable amount of investment earmarked to be successful in this arena. The definition of social media differs from […]

During the course of my marketing career, I have seen many brands change their marketing strategy, marketing direction and marketing definition on an annual basis or even worse, more often than that! For those of us who have professed the art of marketing, it becomes second nature – even an unconscious behaviour – to resist […]

After four learning intensive weeks, I have completed my internship with 3H Communications. In my time here, I have had the opportunity to learn new programs, experience work from an employee’s perspective, and meet talented designers and marketers. The programs I have used in my time here include Microsoft office, Adobe InDesign, and Photoshop, all […]

Quick… Pop Quiz Answer the two following questions with the first answer that jumps in your mind. Who is the most creative person you know? Who is the most objective person you know? Now think of those two people joined into one brain. Kind of like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde but they are both […]

Writing communications for business is a lot like swimming, if you don’t know the water you better stay out. How deep is the water? What’s the temperature? Jumping in cold water… brrrrrrr… jumping into hot …well, just ask a lobster. Rocks in the water? In case you didn’t notice, rocks don’t move. And what if […]

Sales makes money and marketing spends money. It’s usually said in a snotty way and the person saying it usually acts all superior as if they have the secret to life and anyone who doesn’t understand is low, low down on the food chain. Say what you will, those of us in the advertising and marketing […]

You’ve likely heard the term “Emotional Appeal” before. Chances are that a marketing teacher, co-worker, or boss has said that Emotional Appeal can be an effective technique to build a connection with your audience and make them interested in your product. And, well… they’re right. Emotional Appeal can sometimes be omitted or be unremarkable in […]

More Killer Tips on PowerPoint Templates and Backgrounds This is the second time you are making a presentation to the same group. The guy yawning in the back of the room has perked up. The woman gazing at her nails looks up once or twice. At least this is an improvement. Last time she only […]

Wow! My second full week at 3H! In the eight days I’ve been here, I have already learned much about building a brand name, marketing, and using social media to interact with your audience. I’ve also learned how similar school and work are, and also how different they are. First, what’s similar between School and […]

He was a big man and he smoked a big cigar. He was standing beside his desk, with his back to me, smoking a cigar and looking out the window at the city skyline. His presence dominated the room. That’s how I first saw him. That’s how I remember him. Big and in control. It […]

In my past blog posts, I stated the reasons why companies should rethink making their YouTube commercial stream before popular videos can be viewed. I believe that video marketing can be a very effective tool. However, like other social media, it can also backfire when done incorrectly. In order to avoid the ‘hard sell’ on […]

Brand naming…why it’s important. More to the point, what is required for a brand to become like the much covet name brands like Coca Cola, Nike and Apple? It seems that brand names explode in the market…and yet, most take years until they become visible and reach the market consciousness. It’s important to state here […]

A few years back I took a course on strategic planning for small business. When the floor opened for questions many revolved around building teams. What kind of skills should you look for when building a team, is experience more important than education, are soft skills more important than hard skills, at what point of […]

If you read my last blog, you would know that I am not a fan of video ads on YouTube. Not only are they irksome to the viewer, but they may actually hurt the company’s reputation and cause ill will. Luckily, Google ads allow advertisers to reach their audience through YouTube without disturbing the video […]

If your company is trying to market in this digital age, you have likely heard of social media marketing. Using social media to reach out and connect to your audience is wonderful —it can turn a boring ad into an amazing interactive experience! Engaging an audience with Facebook and Twitter is something anyone can do, […]

Before we start let me be clear on the definition of a leader. Well then again ….. maybe I can’t be clear. I can’t be clear because leadership is an art not a science. It’s not easy to pin down leadership characteristics. Regrettably, there is no magic formula you can follow to turn yourself into […]

As I mentioned in my last blog, I want to be an entrepreneur. I have come to realize that the key to success is letting people know about your business since you need customers to earn money. Marketing is crucial for any business, and is important for me to understand if I want to run […]

Today I am sitting at my desk staring at my inbox full of emails. There are 30 emails waiting for me to open. I know each one of them is important and each one requires an answer. I have a meeting in 15 minutes. I don’t want to be late but there may be something […]

Today, I find myself in an advertising agency on my first day at 3H Communications as an intern. Good for me! Let me back up a little and give you some background on well, me, the 3H Intern. Since the day I was old enough to understand that I needed money to live, I started […]

What does a career in advertising really mean? Advertising has always held some mystic for many creative and marketing types wannabes. Many people on the outside looking in think of the world of advertising as being the ultimate career in creativity. I’ll let you in on secret… in many cases, depending on what your creative […]

Getting in the door is the first step to success or failure. If you go into this meeting with a song and dance about why they should “buy” your service, then you’ve already lost them. This presentation is about your potential client or customer. Trust me, if they have given you the opportunity to present, […]

You are growing nervous by the minute. Your mouth is dry. You stumble on your words. Talk about hot seat. It’s so hot your face is red from the heat. The more you speak the more your boss looks disinterested. Then to make matters worse, he tells you to book a meeting to present your […]

What is creativity? There’s a misconception on what or rather who can call himself or herself a “creative”. There are many types of creativity out there. You don’t necessarily need to draw and paint in order to be a creative being…. so if you don’t, don’t sell yourself short. I run a brand creative agency and […]

Which do you want to know first? The good news or the bad news? I like to hear bad news first in order to assess damage control. And I still have something to feel enthusiastic about since the good news is yet to come. so, since this is my blog… here’s the bad news… first. […]

Some guy in a suit is yawning, another guy in the back is asleep, a woman in the front is reading notes, another looks at her nails and everyone else is checking their phone. And then there’s you, standing at the front of the room, nervous and starting to sweat, trying to hang on to […]

It’s hard to separate personal persona from your brand persona. If you are in charge of marketing for a brand or business you are probably passionate about what you do and how you do it. Being in charge of a brand and its performance can be intoxicating. However, like everything else in life, too much […]

Attention all Marketing and Brand Managers: We know our marketing and we know our brand. More importantly, we know who our target buyer, audience and groups are. That’s important and is what makes for great creative. But there’s a catch – we suffer from brand intimacy. By knowing so much through living our brand, day […]

I finally got a “round twit”. Sure it’s an old joke, I hope that it’s so old nobody has heard it and it seems fresh again and people will think I’m incredibly funny. But even if you don’t think I’m funny you may have guessed it’s a joke about procrastination. There are two types of […]

Are you finding it rough juggling your job with your home life? Do you struggle with your basic commitments, miss doctors, dentists, optometrists, appointments because you can’t seem to get the time off work? Even worse do your kids miss their doctor’s dentists, optometrists because you don’t have the time to take them? And what […]

How do you know when you are ready for business success? So you’re right out of school or you’re new to the market and you want to break into your field. But are you ready? Really ready? When after the umpteenth interview and the many false starts, or “almost-getting-it” jobs, you get “the job”. Finally, […]

A few years ago I was having a conversation with a photographer friend of mine. We were talking about business and giving each other tips on how we could become more effective. At one point in the conversation he turned to me and said, “There’s always time to do it over but there’s never time […]

I looked up and high on the shelf in the Dollar Store was a giant eraser with the words “We Make BIG Misteaks”. I thought it was funny and not so funny. Not so funny when you are the one making those misteaks. I bet Lululemon doesn’t think making misteaks is funny after their recall […]

As most people have heard, former CIA technical assistant Edward Snowden became an overnight household name and acclaimed “whistle blower” when he decided to inform the public about a government database that collects our private information. Any analyst at any time can target anyone,” Snowden said. “I, sitting at my desk, had the authority to […]

I often have discussions with business colleagues, associates and clients about the merits of having a LinkedIn presence and the value of having a presence on LinkedIn. Quite frankly, adding LinkedIn to your social media marketing and yes, sales arsenal is good business. Many generalize LinkedIn and compare it to Facebook based on numbers. True, compared […]

A crabby situation! Mr. Clean seemed to have had a long day a couple of weeks ago being attacked by giant crabs. He literally had a crabby situation on his hands! I wonder which line of cleaning products he used to clean up that mess. I can imagine giant crabs leaving quite a disaster, more […]

What makes for bad advertising? The answer is simple.. and often it’s not in the brief, because there wasn’t one! Ultimately what consumers see as the result is often the cumulation of poor direction, bad decisions and no creative brief outlining the brand’s basic position, the reason to believe and competitive landscape. Way too often […]

Let’s face it you can’t get anyone to do anything. Nobody cares. You’re a big loser and you get nothing done. You’re not the boss and everyone knows it. It doesn’t matter that the Big Giant Head told you to make it happen. It’s not happening. They won’t listen. Just like the theme song for […]

It’s clear that like all things in marketing you need to determine your objectives. Only then can you evaluate and assess if your Social Media efforts are performing well. Once you have determined your objectives, the most critical aspect of developing a community is creating a social media calendar that will provide you with clear […]

It’s nice to see so many brands that were once fearful of plunging into social media finally dive in, at least on Facebook. Many brands and businesses have a Facebook page understanding that it is no longer an option to not have one. It is a “media” channel… and a way to build awareness, educate […]

Most of us are familiar with Morse Code, that mystifying alphabet where letters are represented by a combination of long and short signals mostly called dashes and dots. Typically we’ve seen Morse Code used in movies where the distress signal S.O.S, three dots, three dashes, three dots is sent and a rescue is made. What […]

Have you created a Facebook page but not implemented Facebook Ads? If you haven’t, that’s okay, it probably means one of two things: you don’t need to or you don’t know how they can benefit you. In any social media platform it is important to learn the ins and outs before you leverage tools for […]

If you decide to take your company online you’re joining a community of teachers, learners, explorers, and open-minded people who are trying new marketing communications tools that are changing every day. Just this week alone I received numerous emails about my analytics on Facebook changing… yet again. The most frustrating change Facebook Analytics did was […]

Ever wonder how Google came up with its name? Did they think the name Google would become synonymous with information sourcing, referencing, mapping and everything in between? Is there some sort of history behind the name, or was it just a random choice? Many business start-ups make much ado about what they should name their […]

We’ve all read it and heard it… over 50% of business start ups fail in the first 5 years. There’s a number of reasons why that happens. Rather dwelling on the negative, I rather look at the inverse and say 50% of business that do start up, are in fact, still around after 5 years. […]

Admit it. At least one time during the course of your social media twitter campaign (or tweeting on your personal account) you’ve asked yourself: what am I going to tweet right now? Even the most experienced social media expert must ask themselves: “geez, what IS going on in the world today?” Great writers get writers […]

It always amazes me how many start up companies and entrepreneurs operate without a marketing plan. You wouldn’t head out to a destination without at least which direction you are heading or more to the point, input the address on a GPS so you can get there in the most timely way. The purpose of a […]

In today’s fast paced, social media world, staying on top of projects and timelines and time management can be a challenge. A HUGE time management challenge. Clients today expect more, in less time. So how do we manage our time, in this fast paced world, without feeling like we are constantly behind and playing catch […]

Pinterest is a virtual tool that provides an extraordinary sharing platform like no other. 3H has a Pinterest account where we dedicate boards to our pins about useful business to business content. Our strategy is to engage and inspire followers, business-related or not, and give an insight to the marketing, advertising and social media world […]

Before social media came into existence, many of the things said on today’s blogs, Tweets, and other various social media venues, were said by word of mouth. Messages can become viral by word of mouth up to a point, but how accurate are these messages? Do you remember playing the game “Telephone”, where the message […]

Product Brands have found a comfortable and extremely profitable niche in product placement in film. As early as 1927 there was product placement in film, it was Hersey’s Chocolate. Since that time product placements in film have increased dramatically. In 1995 with the film GoldenEye $100 million dollars was invested in product placement. With the […]

So you have an idea for a social media campaign, and you’re thinking of all the millions of people you’re going to attract using Twitter, a blog or Facebook – it’s so exciting! But hold on one second, you have to ask yourself the easy questions first to be guarantee long-term success. Product vs. store […]

Will your logos die a slow painful death, or will it stay vibrant and alive for a long time? The old adage if your product is in demand, your logos could be timeless, proves to be true with such brands like Windsor Salt or Maple Leaf Foods. Products that are fortunate enough to get near […]

Most people know about social media and its distinct ability to help advertisers get out their messages. Unfortunately, as the rapid pace of the social media technology keeps evolving, it’s no wonder that advertisers can’t keep up on the latest and greatest… and how best to get these messages across. Keeping up with the speed […]

Flyers, brochures and catalogs are used globally and on a massive scale. They are a very cost-effective way to market your product, service, brand or event, and they produce some amazing results if they’re done well. The only problem is that with so many flyers out there already (literally millions), and so many more being […]

The sharing of “the visual” over the internet is now widespread. When developing an internet campaign on Facebook or Twitter, there is one thing that media savvy writers take for granted and it is usually the visual effects. Twitter has proven you can lock interest and develop followers on good, solid content. But is that […]

It’s important to have a social media strategy. As Marketers it is important to get your message out in a consistent and timely basis; but how do you handle that when a tragic situation occurs within your community? Does your team have a crisis plan in place within your social media strategy? Recently there have […]

Networking: Where Business Meets Social Networking should be an important part of your Marketing mix. It provides a great opportunity for relationship building, brand awareness and lead generation. Networking in itself can be a full-time job if you let it. Time is a scarce commodity these days. People are so busy these days that they […]

CASE STUDY: A Quebec Brand: Adrien Gagnon Part II A new Adrien Gagnon for today’s Quebecer! Adrien Gagnon, the Quebec Natural Health Products provider for over 60 years, found themselves losing their relationship with Quebecers. As such, they needed to reposition their brand to the Quebecer of today, providing a contemporary and youthful image. The […]

You have a great Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest page. Your timeline photo, background image and profile pictures are eye catching. Your brand is engaging your fans/followers with compelling content, because as we know content is king. You have all the elements you need for great social media presence, do you have social media metrics […]

Suffice to say that in any business, client happiness amounts to a happy business– your business. In the advertising world where business marketing meets conceptual communications …objectives, strategies and creative all need to be integrated to provide the one strong solution … it’s important to keep the following in mind to earn client happiness! This […]

Adrien Gagnon, the Quebec Natural Health Products provider for over 60 years, found themselves losing their market, their leadership and their relationship with Quebecers. As such, they needed to reposition their brand to the Quebecer of today, providing a contemporary and youthful image. With our understanding of the regional market differences in Quebec, we were […]

The “Trend”. More brands are turning to social media to reach more of their customers through trending, they are not realizing the impact 1 tiny misspell or mistake can make. Already in 2013 we have seen many social media fails. While they bring in a good laugh for the public, for the brands or companies […]

In this business, we all want to keep our clients happy. Yet in this busy, fast paced go go go world, one key component is lacking – listening! Instead of hearing what our clients are saying, we are so eager to “sell” our latest idea, fix a problem or answer a question, that we interrupt, […]

There’s a lot out there about how business has changed over the last decade, let alone 25 years. During the course of our journey leading to this point, suffice to say, 3H Communications has not only seen many changes… it has embraced them. My earlier blog written last week speaks to those business changes. Here, […]

How many blogs have you read about how to create a successful social media campaign or what elements should go into a social media soup? There are hundreds of tips on how to create a successful social media strategy. But how do you do that and not risk of loosing focus for your brand. Let’s […]

There’s been a lot of changes in the last 25 years, not only in the agency business but in business in general. I will be predictable and say it has all come about because of the computer. That would be right to a certain extent. However, I believe it’s the way in which business and […]

It’s our silver anniversary! 25 years ago, the 3H Communications journey began. It was a humble start. Miriam,now Chief Creative Officer, was just helping out a couple of friends, one to advertise an airline and the other to launch a shopping center. 25 years of experience later and 3H Communications is a flourishing, cutting edge, […]

Lucky are those that are in love with what they do. Everyday is a new wonderful day filled with commitment, dedication and emotion. As I reflect back on the 25 years I have spent at 3H Communications and with all my clients, I truly believe that I have been blessed. Like any love affair or […]

Marketing is essential for any business, and it’s a field that’s constantly researched, analyzed, and developed by professionals. In general, there are lots of marketing activities you can do on your own to save money, such as posting flyers around town or designing business cards. There are others, however, that are best left to the […]

It wasn’t so long ago that when you ran a contest the only way people could enter the contest was to take the time to fill out an entry form and then whether mail it in or drop it off in a ballot box. The Internet has made things easier, but still, the consumer has […]

Blogging can be hard. Let’s face it we don’t always know what to write and I’m always told to write what I know… sorry reader I don’t think you would like to read about a secret world under the ocean or a forest elf battling a ferocious dragon. You are here for a better understanding […]

So your business made it off the ground, you’re generating revenue, but you’ve hit a roadblock with your growth and revenue. Perhaps it’s too niche or misleading, or tied to a geographic location – what to do? Re-branding your company requires careful consideration and planning in order to achieve a successful outcome and take your business […]

Is there going to be a shift in social media this year? Do you think that there will be a new competitor making its way to our computers this year? Being the fore front of social media can be key to targeting and gaining more reach for your brand. We all strive for the newest […]

Have you noticed you’ve been losing Twitter followers and you don’t know why? Did you work hard to gain your followers and find yourself struggling to keep them? Do you have numbers but a very small engagement ratio? If you’re losing followers, then there is a good chance you need to adjust some Twitter techniques […]

In marketing it’s not always about strategies or the latest trends, it’s also about creating a more productive, organized and positive work environment. Your business or clients need to see that you’ve got things under control no matter how much life can get chaotic. We’ve all struggled to keep up with our work loads and […]

It’s really interesting to examine how major companies compare to each other when social media becomes the interest. What makes for a good social media ranking? Any company can create a Facebook page or Twitter account. Getting people to interact is another issue. While some companies are skilled at attracting this type of action, others […]

My Reddit cake day (the term used for 1 year anniversaries) is almost upon me. Having been on Reddit for almost a year, I thought I would take the opportunity to immerse myself more into Reddit – not as a community member, but as a marketer. It’s important when trying to use social media to […]

The jury is back and the verdict is in, customers are going mobile. We all kind of intuitively knew that was coming, but the reports are now verifying what we already wondered. If your business is not mobile you are missing a whole lot of customers. What do we mean when we say mobile anyway? […]

When we go shopping for anything from food, clothes or cars, we have a lot of choices, at times too many choices. Do we choose a brand that’s familiar to us or do we take a chance with a new one? How do we choose from all these different brands on the retail shelf… and what do […]

Despite our biological complexity, human beings are surprisingly straightforward and predictable when it comes to emotional reactions. The concept of honor, feelings of goodwill and being beholden to the person or company who gives us something for free is deeply engrained in the human psyche. Smart salespeople and businesses know this and have used it […]

I will start this post by saying that this is not a jab at technology nor is it a rant on how business is being conducted today. Promise! Over the last 5 years the way business is being conducted has changed significantly, placing a strain on business relationships. Technology has made business accelerate at warp […]

In the age of technology one really must question the effectiveness of in-store POP. In the recent POPAI’s 2012 Shopper Engagement Study, it states that the in-store decision rate has climbed from 70% in 1995 to 76% in 2012. Can’t believe it right? Although initially I had my doubts, the more I thought about it […]

I was asked the other day what a podcast was, and as much as I’m well versed in that area I went back to look up the definition and did some research so that I could better explain what a podcast is. We can’t call it radio station on the Internet anymore as more radio […]

Marketing and Design must work hand-in-hand. It really doesn’t matter if you have the best creative in the world; without a solid strategic plan to back it up, the message won’t see its full potential. Likewise, if the creative is overlooked for the strategic plan, the message won’t communicate what it needs to. Before delving […]

It’s that time of year again when everyone gets gathered for the Christmas holidays and here at 3H our office is decked out with purple tinsel, wreaths and a big tree full of PURPLE! Whether you celebrate the holiday festivities or not, this is the best time of year for gift giving. With all the […]

How often have you heard, or said yourself “Google It”. Google has changed the way we socialize, the way we interact. It has made us become a generation of immediacy. No matter where you are, or who you’re with, when conversations turn into topics that facts, figures, dates, information is required, the it’s the norm […]

I find these days that smartphones and iPads are attached to our hips. It’s as if we can’t live with out them… we breathe, we use our mobile devices. It’s shocking to hear how many big named companies still don’t have a functional mobile site. Whether you’re in the restaurant business or running a small […]

Developing packaging starts with the size and shape of the actual package. The format adds a point of differentiation that is key to consumer pick-up and sales performance. Product packaging is a marketing art. It must speak to the product it houses, tout its benefits and engage the passerby with attractive graphics – enough to […]

Social Media Understood: 33 biz-ims you need for social media success Thinking of making your business social? Not sure what it takes or how to get started. Beneficial to anyone or business with an online presence, Social Media Understood will assist you in your initiatives by leveraging your marketing efforts. Social Media Understood is filled […]

The Social Media skills now required to maintain a good social media reputation has evolved. Most of us (businesses and brands) have our social listening strategy in place, writing content and posting on our social media accounts. So…how is it going? Are you monitoring your accounts, interacting with your followers on each account? If you […]

Great, you now have your Facebook, linkedin, Twitter, Pinterest accounts in place. Fingers on the keyboard and ready to write and hit that submit button. Stop! So now what? Well, you may want to hold off on populating all those accounts. Why, you ask? Well, did you prepare a social brief? How do you know […]

The Social Media channel is very misunderstood. Businesses and brands alike are all jumping on the social media bandwagon – with little understanding of how it works and how to really leverage their efforts. Couple this with the fact that Social Media is increasingly becoming the most important qualifier for back links and search engine optimization efforts. It’s […]

Christmas, Hanukkah and the New Year’s… unbelievable but true, the 2013 Holiday season is upon us and with it comes the annual dilemma: should we send a card via mail or should we send out a digital card? Maybe it’s because 3H Communications lives in the “creative” world that we feel more angst about this […]

As a creative person, passionate about digital media, graphic design and the visual arts, colour has always been an important factor in my work. How colours interact with each other or to a specific object can be significant especially in design. The same can be said about how colour relates to your brand and its […]

There are many questions in life that we are faced with that have yet to be answered. Some of those are: What came first, the chicken or the egg? Is the sky blue? And, is graphic design art? Most people have an opinion on all of these, but there remains no definitive answer. Ignoring the […]

With so much of business communications today being in the written channel, and so much of it being immediate with Social Media, the tone in which a brand communicates with is increasingly important. We all know that so much of what we say really comes down to how we say it. The same choice of words […]

The word branding is definitely a verb. It takes thought, intention and actions to turn a brand into a Brand. If you take a product that delivers on its promise, give it a great name, an iconic logo and a fantastic well thought out tagline, you’re set – you have the makings of a brand. […]

The social media channel: It’s the new channel, the new trend and everyone and every brand that doesn’t want to be left behind is jumping right on. Needless to say the hype is gaining momentum and believe it or not, has still not peaked. Like everything that is new, exciting and quickly evolving, there are […]

In the fast paced world of Social Media, every bit of knowledge to maximize the exposure of your blog posts is gold! I found this infographic very interesting and useful. Thank you LaunchGrowJoy.comfor sharing this.

Listen up Marketing Vice-Presidents, Professionals, Brand Managers, Ambassadors and Gurus… I know only too well that it’s hard to separate yourself from the Brand you’re responsible for. After all, you work it, live it, breath it – 24/7. You understand it intimately, better than anyone else. You define its market and potential, watch its competitors […]

The catchiest of phrases… and we all know it… “Which would you rather be… do you want to be a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond?” I can’t help it. Whenever I hear this phrase, the image that pops up in my head is of a big […]

What is original? In terms of creativity and ideation, “original” can be described as something new. But being original really requires more than just being new. It also implies standing apart as unique. It’s the combination of new and unique that takes us from ordinary to original. Why be original? Society likes originality – and […]

Although traditional marketing and advertising campaigns are still effective, many programs and companies are now relying on digital marketing tools and approaches to implement their marketing strategies. In the vast digital realm, it can sometimes be difficult to identify which program, tool, network or approach to leverage to meet your objective. Marketers sometimes feel that […]

Sparking creativity or what is most commonly referred to as brainstorming, when you’re alone is far more difficult than when you’re within a group. The onus is all on you. You can’t pass the reins to anyone else and passively listen. Nor can you follow or jump on someone else’s thought train (as I often […]

Packaging design is not merely an essential part of branding in the world of retail products – it is the most important part of branding. Not only is it the first impression and provides the sales proposition but it must also close the deal… ultimately making the sale at the store level. Much like brand logos – […]

There was a time, in the world of advertising and marketing that when it came to B2B marketing, the strategies were quite different from B2C marketing techniques. However there’s a shift that is occurring in the marketing world and it is all because of the emergence of the digital platform and yes, social media. Today, […]

Or I should say, “Grow Brand Grow!” I often say that I see a Brand in terms of a life – it’s a natural! We speak of Brands as having a product life cycle, we speak of their maturity and we carefully have to nurture them. In the height of social brand awareness, in today’s […]

Social media usage is no longer limited to people just being social online; it is now a major tool for marketing business and brands. As social media becomes more important for businesses, most incorporate it within their brand marketing, and in turn want to make a good ROI. With the “newness” of social media come […]

So you’ve created a brand… What was once just a nugget of an idea has been researched, developed, designed and finally brought to life. The result of all that hard work is a complete identity that will embody all the values of your product or service. Now it’s time to release that new brand into […]

Just how expensive is do it yourself marketing? In an age where technology has everything accessible to pretty much everyone the question begs to be asked… is this smart or not… and how costly is it? Today business owners can create their own logos, tagline statements, ads and websites all on their own. But like […]

How many times have we heard ourselves and those around us complain about how there never seems to be enough time? And how often have we walked down an aisle in a grocery store and gotten overwhelmed by lines and choices of products? The answer would be ‘countless times’. Then why is it that advertisers […]

With every generation comes a Corporate Culture evolution. As technology facilitates logistics and streamlines work processes, so too must corporate culture evolve. Every generation brings its own brand of innovation to culture. But Corporate Culture is not a one-way street. As corporations strive to accommodate the changing dynamics of the workforce, the workforce must step […]

When you hear someone say the word Pinterest, what comes to mind? In most cases your probably thinking stay at home mom, or even your grandmother. Am I right? The service is a little more than a showcase of favourite recipes and clothes. Things have changed. Many businesses are taking advantage of Pinterest’s highly visual […]

Everybody is still talking about Facebook and it doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. Yes, people use Twitter to jib jab… but ultimately you need a home base for online social persona… and an extension of your website. A fan page is great way to connect with your users and a place to advertise […]

In today’s day and age there are tons and thousands of blogs and growing. So how do you drive traffic to your blog? This is the million-dollar question that everyone asks. Many people think that all you need is a catchy title about a popular topic, add in some popular search engine keywords and there […]

Have you ever wondered how to tell a real account from a fake account? The tricks they use, and the game they play? Well you’re not alone. Unfortunately many fake Twitter accounts pop up everyday, some harder to spot than others. The downside to fake followers for brands is significant. The number of followers a brand […]

The Dilemma Many small to mid-sized businesses are often caught in a “To Market Research or Not To Market Research” dilemma and by Market Research, I mean traditional market research methods like focus groups, survey polls, etc. So why is there this dilemma? To nail it, it’s because of time and money. As a business […]

On August 23, 2012 a monumental change took place at one of the world’s largest technological companies; Microsoft unveiled a new logo, the first new logo since 1987. This marks a significant change in the direction the company is taking. On the same day the logo was reveled, Microsoft stated in a press release that […]

Every marketing campaign starts off with two things: a brand and a target audience. Determining a target audience used to be fairly simple; marketers looked at demographics and psychographics and determined which groups would be most responsive to the brand. Who: is your target market made up of males or females? How old are they? […]

Social Media change…what else is new! The only constant in life is change, and this seems especially true in terms of social media. It seems as if every other day there is a new platform that is coming into vogue and those that have been around awhile are changing to keep up. Once you finally […]

The rise of social media has brought about many advantages: instantaneous and constant communication; the humanization of brands and stronger relationships with customers. However, it all comes at a price, mainly the diminishing attention span of users. Social media creates a constant feed of information virtually 24/7, resulting in people spending less time engaged in […]

Centre yourself, greet the new day and open to the vision: we will remain open, move with the times, bend and balance. When the agency and the Brand intention are in sync, harmony will follow. Branding for the 21st century. As we move more deeply into the 21st century and are faced with new technologies […]

The internet and social media have created a venue for open marketing. It’s called the Blog. No longer are “readers” designated to print alone. Reading is now accessible to anyone that has connection to the web. Social Media has enabled more people to read up on their points of interests. People are turning to the […]

With all the hype around the Olympics and some big name sponsors promoting the games, it’s almost impossible to turn on the television or look in a magazine and not see an ad that in some way incorporates sports. However brands don’t need to wait for a big sporting event to capitalize on the popularity […]

Even if you have no interest in sport, there is something about the Olympics that makes even the most athletically apathetic tune in and take notice. That something is the drive, determination and dedication of the Olympic athletes. These individuals train tirelessly for the opportunity to prove themselves at their most prodigious competition. As spectators, […]

The 2012 Olympics have officially started, but for months we have seen advertisements from Olympic sponsors. The most coveted position for an Olympic sponsor is to be part of The Olympic Partner programme (TOP). Being part of the TOP programme gives sponsors exclusive worldwide marketing rights. This year’s sponsors in the TOP programme are: Coca-Cola, […]

Web Design isn’t about the layout, the colour, the look or the impact of a site. In fact, behind every great website is a great web design usability interface. Success or failure of your website depends on user the web design usability interface. A website is your first impression out there in the real world… so […]

It’s nothing new. Throughout the history of the Olympics, the Olympic brand has been heavily guarded and its use tightly controlled. As have been the Olympic sponsors. But in the age of social media, has it become more difficult for the Olympic brand and the Olympic sponsors to protect their rights and control their message? […]